Kaishaba Trails

[Gohan]

The next day, Hatsu noticed that he had finally turned into a Graveler. I have evolved! Admiring his barely mobile body, the young man got to his feet and staggered around the fire to keep it lit. Thankfully, the sunlight had gotten rid of all the evil spirits which meant he was now free to wander around and be stupid.

He found himself wandering around the wilderness, looking for the will o wisp. He couldn't find it, so he decided to go to the cave he had seen yesterday. For some reason, Hatsu felt like he was supposed to explore the cave or maybe even make his way to the top of the peak.
Whoa there, let's try to be a little safer today. You're still pretty tired and sleep ridden.

Agreeing with his own conscious, Hatsu decided to go to the cave and try to set up camp. He would bring a few burning logs as makeshift torches and place them ten meters inside the cave. He would also bring a bunch of branches and leaves so that he could keep the fire lit throughout the day and hopefully throughout the next night.

[The Creator]

The day would be uneventful, to Hatsu's sure content. The sun burned brightly and the birds chirped so that it was almost as if last night was just a bad dream. The fire would continue to burn and you would find the cave shallow but tall and cavernous. There would be no cave paintings nor unexpected inhabitants found there. The ceiling was so high that a fire could be built within the cave without the worry of smoke poisoning the air.

Only a low grumble in your belly would stir this perfect day. Hunger, thirst, and a little fatigue tugged at you but that could all be taken care of if managed cautiously.

[Gohan]

It was nearly night time and it seemed as though everything was going to plan. Nothing had tried to attack him and Hatsu was excited to get this trial over with. He figured that the only reason he was alive right now was because Araqiel had sent the wisp to save him from his stupid decision to go swimming in the winter.

The only thing that bothered him was that he felt weak. Something in his core was aching and his human body felt very dry. He even urinated for the first time of his life without even noticing it until he was halfway done. This must be how humans relieve fluids. But if I'm losing fluids, that must mean I should replenish them. Maybe I should eat too.

This whole being just a human experience was very annoying. Unwilling to kill anything to nourish his high maintenance human body, Hatsu got to his feet and stared out the cave entrance. I better not eat anything. Who knows, I may poison myself. He figured that he could at least go drink some water. After doing so, he committed to stay in the cave until night time. He knew his hunger and thirst would go away as soon as his two days were up anyways.

[The Creator]

Your decision to ignore your hunger was greeted by a constant and foreign gnawing at your stomach accompanied by rumblings that would surprise and even startle you in this new human form. In any case, you had decided to live with them and they would not become any more worse than that in the allotted time you were given to complete this task.

The sun began to sink as twilight came on. It was boring work, surely, sitting in a cave for hours and this human form seemed only to be more and more annoying as time passed. How hard it must be to be like this all the time!, you would surely begin to think, No wonder they are so likely to be worked into a frenzy of killing! Nay, such constructs might not touch a mind as yours but perhaps this trial was Araqiel's way of teaching you the suffering that mortals had? Whether you believed so or not would be a result of your belief in divine fate.

Soon it was night, and although sleep began to pull at you, the shadows began to twist again. Now that you had a fire, the shadows were alive and dancing. With every flicker of flame there was a shadow that jerked across the cave wall to accompany it. The footsteps that you had heard last night seemed to be even closer now. You thought you could hear them above you; a man in iron boots seemingly pacing up and down the cliff top which was the ceiling of the cave. The rocky shore of the river seemed to be the pathway of footsteps too, barely heard over the bubbling stream. The fire would crack and pop and suddenly it would meld in with the footsteps; you were unable to tell which from which. In a cave with only a fire, you began to feel very alone. Perhaps there was a flicker of doubt in Araqiel; he had helped you once, so it seemed, but would his presence be felt again? The shadows, it seemed, had come in force tonight. And, for the time being, it seemed like it was you against them. And that was a very scary thought, indeed.

[Gohan]

The hours went by and Hatsu started to feel his body start to get sleepy. Maybe it was Araqiel’s will that he be confined in this form to gain an understanding of human nature. While he still couldn’t forgive them fully, it was becoming clear that some humans needed to kill in order to feed themselves. Having to maintain their bodies would mean that they were very prone to starvation and injury in ways that Hatsu had never had to worry about. As he sat in that cave, he started to pity humans more and more which was something he would have never done had he not gone through these trials.

Before long, darkness was upon him. His fire had made it throughout the day and he had noticed that he had gone through a serious amount of wood and leaves. Although he had only gathered dead wood and plant life to feed the fire, he still felt some guilt. He knew that he would have cut down a living tree in an instant if he had run out of other alternatives. Maybe he was lawful good simply because he had never felt the temptation to perform evil deeds!

As if something was feeding on his guilt and doubt in himself, shadows started to dance around the walls of the caves. Not only that, but the footsteps from the night before were back and in full force. Hatsu jumped to his feet and looked around, feeling as though something was going to happen. Araqiel had spared him at least once before. Maybe this was a test to see if he could face evil on his own? He had no idea.

“Seriously, is someone there?” He would yell, similar to the previous night. He would at least like a response if he was about to get jumped by some kind of demon.

[The Creator]

Those who would rather delve into the morality of evil prey on the weak. They are parasites that would like no more than to go unnoticed in their endeavors and live a life of parasitism without interruption. They are natural occurrences within life. It is the force of good that is unnatural: a response to the injustice and unfairness of evil parasites. Only the "good" would implant themselves into such a position that would interrupt and end the endeavors of evil. So to the evil, good is evil, and evil is good. And, much like the good seek to rid the world of evil, evil seeks to rid the world of good.

It was this force which drove the evil to find you here tonight, on the cusp of becoming what they hate the most. You would ask if anyone was there, and they would answer.

It was not a single voice but a myriad of them speaking in unison. An unholy chorus of devils and demons whose words seem twisted when translated to the common tongue. When they spoke the shadows that had danced on the walls spasmed as if it was the mouth of the creature itself. What might have been slight light outside of the cave was now pitch black. It flowed into the cave like thick molasses, threatening to drown out even the fire that bravely fought against it.

"Someone?" It said with that terrible voice. "Or something?" It seemed to hiss like a snake but cry like a dying cow.

"Alone and afraid," it continued, "Where is Araqiel when you need him?"

And then you saw them. They stood in the mouth of the cave like black sentries. Their shapes were twisted and horrible. They had too many heads and not enough eyes. Their joints bent the wrong way and their teeth glinted in the fire's dying light. They were black as shadows and stared at you through malicious eyes that were indistinguishable from their horrendous figures. Their breathing was ragged and labored, filling the cave with terrible noise.

"Give up your faith." They spoke in unison, taking a step closer. Their presence dimmed the fire.

"Give up your faith." They said again, beginning a chant. It was totemic in the way they spoke, almost if they were praising some dark god with their speak.

"GIVE UP YOUR FAITH." They screamed. One step forward. The fire died very suddenly. Then it all happened very fast. Shadows engulfed the room, flooding it with darkness. You would suddenly be surrounded by it, and, in the darkness, all you could hear was their breathing getting louder and louder.

You had two options, it seemed: relinquish your faith, or die a terrible death.

[Gohan]

Hatsu didn’t know if he liked the fact that he got a response this time or not. It was nice to know that the shadows he saw weren’t figments of his imagination, but it was very unnerving to hear so many voices at once. His first instinct was to make a torch and sprint out of the cave, but one glance at the entrance told him it was a bad idea. Menacing, unnatural, black figures blocked the entrance and would surely be able to handle Hatsu’s weak body should he try to escape. Or so he thought.

"Alone and afraid," it continued, "Where is Araqiel when you need him?"

The voices were right. Why was it that this god always waited until the last goddamned second to help his followers? Why was he here in the first place? Compared to humans, and shinobi to an extent, he was essentially a god himself. What was stopping him from being evil in the first place? He was a kage, the leader of one of the most powerful military forces in the known world. Even if he gave that up, he had access to enough money to live in luxury indefinitely. Truly, he didn’t need some god who had done nothing but take his only belongings and force him into this stupid human body.

As the spirits got closer and closer, Hatsu felt himself embracing their cold presences. Their shouts of encouragement only spurred his evil thoughts as he began to want nothing more than to walk up to Citadel and knock it to the ground. His imagination started going wild, imagining enslaving the human race and conquering every living being in existence. He then pictured his mist form atop a throne, looking over the entirety of the world as all forms of life crumbled and died. However, there was something odd with this picture.

Taking a closer look at the misshapen figure of his future self, he saw a single tear condense and fall off of his cloud-like cheek. That was when he realized that this wasn’t what he wanted. There was no happiness in that face and even if there was, there was nothing in that cold world to share it with. He would not let that future become a reality! He realized this the instant before the shadows engulfed the last of his essence.

With a roar of rage that echoed dangerously loud throughout the cave, Hatsu felt his chakra start to come back to him. While he was still trapped in human form and unable to use it, he felt the core of his essence fill the place where a human’s stomach would be.

“Listen you foul demons!” He would shout hopefully above the chanting, “I pity what sad miserable lives you must have lived to have degraded your souls to these disgusting twisted forms. While I am not a human and will never fully understand their ways, it is within my power and responsibility to stop evil to ensure the greater good of all living beings. It is true that Araqiel isn’t here for me, but he’s not what makes me strong. I’m not here for a handout, I’m here because I want to be a part of something devoted to the well being of the world. Do what you will! I don’t fear you!!!”

Or at least that’s what he tried to say. If he couldn’t he would have still thought it.

[The Creator]

Your shout echoed forth through the cave, and it rumbled like thunder. As if by magic, the flame reignited with a renewed force, driving the shadows back from the cave like a host that was defeated and broken. There was darkness, still, but it was not the same darkness that had just plagued your temporary home. There was, however, something sitting in the mouth of the cave.

A white fox who would look at you with big eyes before turning and leaving you, perhaps forever. If you were knowledgeable in the religion you would know that Araqiel's Helper: Ophean, Araqiel's Voice. Was it him that had spoken in such a horrendous tone? Perhaps you were clever enough to realize that there had been no spirits at all. Araqiel had been present, and his presence was the test that was truly what He was wanting you to conquer.

You would be bothered no more; you were now a true follower of Araqiel.

((Congratulations, that concludes the trials. Make a post returning to the Citadel in the morning and I'll respond with the initiation and you can leave after that.))

[Gohan]

(I have some skill points but they were aquired after this thread started. Also thanks for taking the time to rp with me!!!(

Hatsu was almost surprised to see the spirits vanish so suddenly. In their place stood a white fox that he would not recognize. He guessed that this had been osme kind of test and this was Araqiel's way of telling him he had passed.

Feeling utterly exhausted, Hatsu fell to the ground and slept till the next morning. When he awoke, he burst into wind form and followed the river back to where his journey had first started. It would take a while without a map, but the young adult would eventually find himself at the citadel steps in human form. He was hoping to run into someone familiar who could tell him what he was supposed to do next.

[The Creator]

Upon your return to the Citadel, which, by comparison, was much quieter than the day that you had visited, the acolytes erupted into cheer. It was not often when one so readily wished to undertake the trials and passed them without so much as a scratch to bear (as long as you didn't tell them you almost died from the cold). They would attempt to embrace you but your wind form was intangible and their attempts would be shot down. Instead they would gather around you, even the more lax acolytes who wore the nasty axes on their hips, and cheer their new initiate.

Ezequeil would be among them, as well as Samuel who was not cheering but gave you a proud gaze nonetheless. From that point on, you were Kaishaba.

(And that concludes it all. It was fun, tell me if you need anything else GMed. Remember you have to train all the techniques in Kaishaba, you don't get them off the back. Good luck out there!)

[Gohan]

(Thanks again for taking the time to help me out!)

Hatsu would smile at the onlookers and wave as he flew off into the distance. He would pray to his god before officially beginning his journey, since that was one of the dumb rules he had to follow now.

-exit*-